The owners of the former Rose and Crown pub at the junction of Norwich and Bramford Roads in Ipswich have been formally served with a notice to carry out work to make the building safe.
That means if repairs to make it safe – and allow the top of Bramford Road to reopen – are not completed within a reasonable time Ipswich council can formally take over the project and charge the building’s owners.
In reality the borough is working with the owners to make the building safe and inspectors will be back on Monday to see how the remedial work is progressing.
A spokesman for the borough did not know whether the same building company would be making the building safe – that was a decision for its owners to make.
Emergency scaffolding has now been set up on the top of Bramford Road, blocking it to all vehicles. That will remain in place until engineers and safety inspectors are satisfied that the building no longer poses a danger to people using the road.
It has enabled the borough to re-open the pavement on the opposite side of the road allowing pedestrians to get along Bramford Road. But there is no timescale for road to full reopen.
It is understood that concrete has been used to try to shore up the foundations of the building which is on the site of an historic 17th century tavern.
The current building is not that old – it is not even formally listed – but it is considered an important local landmark so council officials are keen to ensure it does have a future.
And they have said there were problems with the structure of the building before it closed as a pub in 2011. It is now a Kurdish cultural and religious centre and was being adapted for its new use when the fears over the safety of the site forced the closure of the top of Bramford Road last weekend.
Maintaining the road network is a county council function – but a spokesman for that authority said the issues at the top of Bramford Road were currently in the hands of the borough.
He said: “We obviously could not re-open that section of the road until it is safe and there is no obstruction. The borough is working with the building owners and we have to wait until the situation is resolved.”
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